Funny People

I've been writing down some of the funny things our kids have been saying lately. I can't quite do them justice without the voice inflections, goofy gestures and attitude. They are a handful. Here are 4 of my favorite lines from my four favorite almost 4 year olds...

(L to R)

Libby, Russ, Ally and Molly

From: Miss Molly

The kids have not been sleeping much lately and neither have I. This morning I was on the family room floor cuddling with Penny when... I passed out!! I woke to the kiddos standing over me YELLING, "WAKE UP MOMMY! WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING?" Molly grabbed my hand, pulled me up, and said...

"Mommy, I think you need to GET UP and make some coffee.. let's get this day started already!"

I must admit, you DO have a point- little goober! ;)

-Molly and Penny

From: Russell John

We had a ton of errands to run and the kiddos were being very INDEPENDENT. It was taking forever to get out of the house and I was getting cranky. Russ had been trying to tie his own shoes and finally agreed to let me help him. I bent down, annoyed. Then, he wrapped his arms around me and said...

"Mommy, you are SOoo beautiful, even when your mad."

I don't know what brilliant person taught you that line... but it's a keeper!

-Funny Russell Man

FROM: Ally Boo Boo

On the way home from dinner at my moms, Ally was singing a pretty little tune. She sings ALL THE TIME. I LOVE it!! Suddenly she gasps...

"You guys!! The moon is FOLLOWING us home!

HOW COOL IS THAT?!"

Pretty darn cool, baby. So is your precious soul!

-Ally Boo Boo

FROM: Little Libby

Yesterday we were running around town when I passed a Starbucks. Libby SCREAMS...

"MOMMY!! STOP! I NEEEEEEEEEEED a scone!!!"

I, of course, did not stop. ;)

Libs, its was hard not to laugh. You are a handful my love!

-Feisty little Libby

Happy Friday EVERYONE! I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Growing Up Quadruplet

Today was a good day, a really good day. I sat back, enjoyed the beautiful sunshine, and watched my kiddos play together. The things they come up with and the way they talk to each other never cease to amaze me. It's hysterical, goofy, and heart warming all at the same time. It must be so cool to grow up quadruplet, SO so SO so cool.

Ally loves to sing to the plants as she waters them.

Her sweet voice MELTS ME!

"Look Mommy, I'm cleaning the sand box!"

Goofy Russ- drops one liners like it's hot.

Mo Mo loves grown ups!

She is wise beyond her years & never too far from mommy.

Mischievous little Libby!

She's ALWAYS planning her next move, always calculating...

Soulful Ally goes with the flow wearing that GIANT heart on her sleeve.

-God love her!

The shirt says it all!

-Molly Lou Ann

Russell Man

Our 4 BIG kids!

(L to R)

Ally, Libby, Russ and Molly

Me and Princess Penny

Naked toes and cool grass.. nothing like it! ;)

-Little Libby

Solving the problems of the world, one sandwich at a time...

(L to R)

Libby, Russ and Ally

It's a bird.. it's a plane.. it's.... RUSSELL MAN!!

Penny

Molly Mo

Ally singing to her Penny

Ally Boo Boo

"Dude, I'm up in the tree house and covered in dirt..

life does not get better than this!"

-Russ

These two are so funny together, words don't do it justice!

-Libby and Russ

Bath time and otter pops- hey, it worked! ;)

These four sure know how to drive us crazy. That goes with out saying! ;) They push our buttons and keep us on our toes. However, days like today make me realize that we MUST be doing something right because they truly are great kids! ;) The older they get the more fun it is, as their mommy, to watch them grow and change. I know the stories will only get better and better as time goes on!

AND speaking of driving us crazy....

I'm proud to share that we have stuck to our guns since my last post! The kiddos are earning back their toys one at a time. It's a slow process... but they are learning. I think it's been a great experience for all of us. Thank you so much for all the awesome support. It feels so good to know we not alone on this crazy journey, THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart!

The McNulty Garage Toy Store

Good behavior= 1 toy

Negative behavior= return toy

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope your week is off to a great start.

Mommy Had A Tantrum!

Yesterday was a bad day for me as a mommy. The kids were ON FIRE!! ON FREAKING FIRE!!!! It was just one of those days were I could not win and the minutes were ticking by slower than Conor drives on the freeway.

After lunch I had some chores to do. So, I said, "Hey, when mommy finishes cleaning up, do you guys want to go to the park?" They all cheered... "YES!!" Cool, "You have enough time to clean up your play room. When all the toys are picked up, we will go."

Over the course of the next 30 minutes the kids just kept playing, fighting and screaming. Not one toy was put away. I reminded them a dozen times,"If you don't pick up your toys, we WILL NOT go to the park!" I feel like spend most of my day talking to myself, do you other moms feel that way too? UGH! Anyway, after a few MILLION warnings and a pounding headache, I marched into the play room and announced... "Fine. You didn't pick up. We are not going."

Shrieks of horror erupted and I walked away to lock myself in the bathroom. After they calmed down I came out and repeated myself."You didn't pick up your toys. So we are not going to the park. PERIOD." Insert more uncontrollable screaming here. "Now, you will pick up every single toy in this house, OR, I will throw them in the trash!"

Well, they didn't stop screaming and they most definitely did not start cleaning. They were in pure agony.... agony I tell you! ;) In the past I have had to only take away one toy or "threaten" and they have hopped right to it. Not this time. This time they were feeding off of each other and testing me. AND.. I was out of patience. So, without saying another word I calmly grabbed a bunch of trash bags and started tossing the toys in.

Then, through the haze of mass melt down, I lost it. When all 4 are falling apart at the same time it's insanely overwhelming and very hard to regain control. So, I took back control and sent them to their rooms. I proceeded to put every single toy, book, action figure, barbie, car, doll, tool, etc. in the trash/garage.

When it was quiet I let them out and sat them down for a chat. I think it's really important to address them each as individuals. When I'm making a point, I make them look me right in the eyes and then repeat what they have learned. This takes some serious patience!

When we were done they wanted their toys back. Not a chance buddies. When Conor came home he found the garage the way I had left it. When he walked in he simply said, "So it was one of THOSE days eh?" My response... "Why oh WHY did I give up wine for Lent!?!"

This morning the kids were shocked to wake up and find that they STILL did not have any toys and were equally traumatized when they realized it was garbage day.

View from the play room window.

I promised NOT to let the garbage man take their stuff, IF they promised to earn each toy back. So, today we worked on that. For every kind/loving/good thing they did... they got to go pick out one toy. For every naughty/defiant behavior or action... they had to give the toy back. The garage is still packed full, but we are working on it and I'm sticking to my guns. This could take some time.

Scene of the crime...

On a happy note, they earned back the "privilege" of the park today and we enjoyed the sunshine this afternoon. The fresh air did all of us some good. Today was a much better day.

"We're getting out for good behavior! Woo hoo!!"

(L to R)

Russ, Libby, Ally, Molly and Penny

I do believe I have made my point, Mommy tantrum and all! Follow through and consistency are key, but SO dang hard! Man has it been a long couple of days. ;)

Earning it back one toy at a time!

-Russell Man

Libs, not crying and ready to go!

Sweet Penny... the only child who doesn't talk back!

"Quick! Ally, play nice... maybe we can get our scooters back!"

-Ally and Molly

Happy weekend everyone! Have a great one!

PS: Thank you for all the AMAZING comments on my last post! I loved reading every single one and I'm so happy to know that so many of you have such WONDERFUL reasons for writing. That's the way it outta be! ;) Happy Blogging ya'll!!

Why Do YOU Blog?

I don't get "it." And maybe "it" makes me a bad blogger. But truthfully, I don't care.

I recently became aware of the fact that "blog land" has all kinds of awards and top rated lists. For those of you who don't blog - it may not make much sense, but it's reflective of the trends in the world we live in.

Call me naive, but I didn't know blogging was a competition. I find myself fascinated and conflicted at the same time. I love the connections I have made with people and enjoy it thoroughly. However, at times it's been eye-opening. This trend of petty competition, jealously, and narcissism is sad.

Sometimes, it just makes me wonder...

Why do I blog?

I blog for my family and I blog for myself. I want to remember EVERYTHING. I do it for the love of writing and the free therapy! I do it to clear my mind, and to try to find the good in each day. I do it for the friendships. I do it to share my heart and help other people. In return, I find myself getting so much more in return. For me, that's all I need. I don't live to blog... I just love to live.

So that brings me back to my original question...

Why do YOU blog?

For the love of it?

If you're not doing it for the love of it, why? What is the point? Is it a popularity contest? Do we NEED to feel accepted and validated by the "cool crowd," even as adults? Lord I hope not!
I'm seeing more and more sad updates about "blog lists,"comments and broken spirits. It makes my heart heavy. Ladies and gentlemen, love yourselves, be yourself and have faith in who you are. The rest will fall into place. You don't need some silly blog award, or your name on a list to find happiness and validation. I think happiness is found when you are true to yourself. Speaking from experience, it's a lesson I continue to learn over and over again. I've found myself censoring this blog more than I'd like to admit, for fear of being judged unfairly. People can be downright mean. But let's face it, you will never please everyone. We're all imperfect. We're all a bit goofy. And that's ok - that's what keeps it interesting, and that's life.

We can drive ourselves crazy worrying about what other people think. But the truth is... the people who matter, the only people who matter, are the ones who love US just the way we are!

I'm not sure if any of this has made sense, but I hope it resonated in some way.

Thanks for listening!

Mr. Clean & Mr. McNulty

When I asked, "Any suggestions on how to get Sharpie marker off the door?" I was thrilled. Why?

1. We're not alone... it's happened to the best of you.
2. We got some GREAT suggestions!

My all time favorite comment was...

"Gen, you're looking at this all the wrong way! Frame it and call it art!"

- Uncle Dan Wire

Sorry, Dan! Conor didn't quiet agree with you on that one. Go figure...=)

ANYWAY..

Last week I was super sick and spent three days in bed - it wasn't pretty. The hubster was a rock star and held down the fort. Conor, I love you dude. He found himself catching my spring cleaning fever and was all about getting things done. God love him. Armed with his arsenal of household items he decided to take on the Sharpie marker. After going back through each of your suggestions, he was ready to get down and dirty!

1. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser- CHECK
2. Cotton Balls- CHECK
3. Nail Polish Remover- CHECK
4. Rubbing Alcohol- CHECK
5. Goof Off (from when we painted the house)- CHECK

Being a man who likes list, he decided to start from the top. The dude was on a mission. Libby and I watched from our bed as her lovely cave paintings came under attack.

Pic from my cell phone, not pretty but sweet none the less.

-Me and Libs

With the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Mr. McNulty got to work. Before we knew it, and with a little old fashioned elbow grease, the marker was gone! Just like that. No drama, no stress, presto! Hopefully the kids don't think this gives them free reign to color on any household surface, since it comes off so "easy" now!




You weren't kidding!!! It worked like a charm and we could not be more excited to not have to re- paint, frame it or replace the door! LOL!! Thanks for all the help y'all.

Door Before..

After!

Have a great week everyone and keep those permanent markers under lock and key! We are looking forward to things getting back to normal around these parts!

P.S- I revised the blogger buddy list. I'm really happy I asked. Please let me know if I forgot anyone.. I worry about that! Also, let me know if you would like to be added or removed.

Conor =1 Gen = 0

If you want to know what goes on in our house, just ask our kids! They will tell you ANYTHING and EVERYTHING, down to the most humiliating details! Details... I will not be sharing today! ;)

This morning Molly came sprinting out of her room yelling, "Where is MY daddy?" The moment she found him she placed her hands on her hips, pursed her lips and said...

"Oh. My. Gawd. Daddy. You are NEVER gonna believe what happened yesterday!"

Then, the little goober proceeded to RAT ME OUT! Her own mother!

"You want the dirt, Ya.. I'll spill it!"

Conor and I have been battling over where to put the dog food. I know, it sounds ridiculous but it's a bit like a turf war around these parts. We both have our reasons for placement. MY REASONS are just better! ;) Can I get an amen ladies!?! However, Libby and Russ seem to have an obsession with moving it around. Hence, proving daddy's point- Conor LOVES this, by the way! So what is the FIRST thing my sweet, darling Molly tells him? You guessed it,

"Libby and Russ got into the dog food again. Mommy got really mad and told us NOT to tell YOU! "

Miss Mo Mo, is NOTHING sacred? Is there no trust between mother and daughter... especially when I'm losing a battle, like where to put the dog food, with Daddy!?! Where is your loyalty? You better believe I'm not going to forget this when you want to date and daddy says"NO!" I'm totally kidding. But, it is pretty funny what a child (or 4) of this age will share.

You crack me up kiddo. While we are on the topic.. could you PLEASE stop telling strangers in Costco intimate details?! That would be fabulous. Thanks.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Blog Question for YOU!! -UPDATED

I'm having at terrible time keeping up with our blogger buddy list. Clearly it is out dated and many people have gone private. I have everyone subscribed into my reader and don't personally use the list on our blog. However, I think it's a great way to share the love.

Here is my question...

With the blog frog and follow us buttons on my sidebars, do you think I need to the blogger buddy list too? Do any of you use it to follow other blogs or find new people to read? If so, I will leave it up.

Can you tell I'm not only in spring cleaning mode for my house but my blogs as well!?! ;) Thanks for the input! I'd hate to take it down if you all like it!

Happy rainy Tuesday!

The kids and I are about to head out for some puddle jumping.

UPDATED:

Okay, since you use it, I will keep it!! That's all I needed to hear.

NOW, to clean it up-

- If you would would like to be added leave me a comment and I'll be sure to put you on the list.

- If you are on the list and notice errors let me know.

- If you have asked to be added in the past and I have dropped the ball, I amsooo soo sorry!! I do my best but have major brain farts often! ;) Let me know on this post I'll add you right away

- If your blog is private your updates will not appear but I'm happy to have you on there anyway.

HAPPY BLOG HOPPING YA'LL!